UCI

Introduction

This thirteenth report of the Orange County Annual Survey, UCI, spotlights several top concerns of Orange County residents, most notably: crime and the economy. In addition, we continue to track topics from previous years. The 1994 survey was conducted August 19 to 29 and included interviews with 1,000 adult residents. The margin of sampling error is +/- 3 percent. Here are the highlights of the findings from this year's survey:

The issue of crime seemed to dominate the public policy debates in 1994. In Washington, Congress enacted a crime bill after some heated debate about the relative merits of police and law enforcement versus community programs. In Sacramento, the Legislature passed a "Three Strikes" law with the intention of sending criminals with multiple serious offenses to prison for life. In Southern California, news coverage of high-profile local murders and the O.J. Simpson trial made certain that crime would be a major topic in the upcoming election.

In the Orange County Annual Survey this year, we decided to probe more deeply into the issue of crime. How many people think crime is the most pressing problem in Orange County, and how many rate it as a serious local problem? How scared are residents about the prospects of becoming the victim of a serious crime? What impact is fear of crime having on lifestyles in Orange County, specifically people's willingness to go out to parks, beaches and entertainment? How much confidence do they have in the police and courts? Finally,how many support stricter gun control laws as a way of dealing with crime?

This survey was taken when the national recovery was underway and there were hints that the local economy was improving. Thus, we repeat questions we began asking during the recession about current ratings and future expectations for the Orange County economy. In addition, we repeat the University of Michigan's five-question "Consumer Confidence Index," comparing the answers to previous years and to national statistics, as we have been doing since 1986. Finally, we ask about the El Toro Marine Base closing, which is perhaps the first post-Cold War economic development issue facing Orange County. Specifically, we ask about residents' support for turning the base into a civilian airport, which was a ballot measure in November.

The 1994 survey also includes a number of "tracking" questions that allow us to monitor several key issues we have analyzed for more than a decade.

First, we examine residents' ratings of the current quality of life in Orange County, and measure their optimism about the county's future. We also look at trends in identification of the county's most important social problems.

On the topic of traffic and transportation policy, we continue to ask about overall satisfaction with the freeways, commuting methods and perceptions of traffic congestion during the commute to work. We are particularly interested in knowing if the large number of local freeway construction projects currently underway is having an impact on residents' perceptions of traffic in Orange County, and if commuters are becoming more or less likely to drive alone to work.

Growth and development continue to concern many Orange County residents, particularly as the economic recovery boosts building and construction. We thus examine residents' current perceptions of growth in their cities and communities, and their support for local growth controls. We are interested in trends over time, as well as geographic patterns of concerns about local growth issues.

Next, we examine trends in environmental concerns. We are interested in the degree to which the perceived threat of environmental problems has remained an issue, as attention has turned toward crime, the economy and illegal immigration. This year, we also asked about water pollution and flood control as part of a special report to the Environmental Management Agency.

Housing costs remain a major factor in Orange County's economic trends. Thus, we analyze trends in mortgage payments and rental costs both for the county as a whole and for its regions. We also ask renters and homeowners if they believe that buying a home in Orange County today is a good investment, a question that was added to the survey last year.

We continue to monitor charitable giving. We analyze trends over time in financial donations to charity and patterns of monetary giving across demographic groups. This year, we also consider the issue of volunteering time as part of a special report tothe Volunteer Center of Greater Orange County.

Finally, we look at the political climate in Orange County. We examine the political profiles of the county as a whole, and of Republicans and Democrats in particular, to see if there are any shifts in voters' general political orientation. We also ask about two ballot measures in the 1994 statewide election which concern the public policy issues of crime and illegal immigration.

In analyzing the 1994 survey, we compare this year's results to previous Orange County Annual Surveys. We also consider differences between various subgroups, such as age, income and region of residence. In some instances, we contrast Orange County opinions with those measured in state and national surveys.